Friday 27th October 2017

Lotus SUV design patents emerge

Combine Evora, 3-Eleven and Elise with a bit of Zagato Shooting Brake and you have what might be a Lotus SUV

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This isn't the finished Lotus SUV; that should be pointed out from the start. It doesn't even have wheels yet. Instead these are design patents of the off-road Lotus, leaked on a Chinese website and here for you to peruse right now.

Well it's kind of familiar...

Even though the shape may not be familiar, this is clearly still a Lotus. Recognisable cues are there for all to see, from the Elise-style front-end to the Exige-aping back. It's just the bit in between that differs slightly...

Despite being in its very early stages, the car is evidently aimed at the road-biased end of the market rather than the more serious off-roaders. The ground clearance is pretty low, there's not a huge amount of space between the wheel and the arch and the roofline is swoopy and coupe-like, as is the current fashion. And, well, Lotus hardly has any off-road heritage to trade on for a new 4x4, so a road-biased model makes obvious sense.

The fact that these have emerged on a Chinese website shouldn't be ignored either; not only will the Lotus SUV have to sell well in China, the car will be built in a place even further east than East Anglia. This was confirmed in 2015, though there will be an added impetus to the move with the Geely takeover now complete.

This certainly isn't!

As these pictures are leaked rather than official, there are no additional details just yet. Back when the car was announced Jean-Marc Gales said it would be a "true Lotus", weighing less than the opposition and out-handling them too.

We're still expecting the car in 2021, so the SUV has some way to go. In the meantime, how about suggesting some names? Lotus loves a name beginning with 'E' and these cars are all about adventure, so how about Escape? Oh yes, done already. Explorer? That didn't work out too well either. Endeavour? Bit formal. Over to you!

[Source: Autocar]

[leakymanifold]

It's going to be too expensive for a lotus, should be half that......oh wait i jumped the gun, they haven't released a price yet.

[HorneyMX5]

Actually looks pretty damn good in those sketches. A much better transfer of the design language than either Porsche or Jaguar have managed.

[5ltr V8]

How about calling it 'Evolve'

[numtumfutunch]

The Lotus Erratic?

[V8 FOU]

Revive the Excel name?
Or with due defference to both countries the Empire (see what I did?)
Etna? The code used for the Esprit?

[gl20]

The Lotus Eutychianism. I was looking for a word beginning with E that means heresy and this is the best my Thesaurus could come up with. I admit it needs some work.

[Triumph Man]

I must admit I saw the front end and thought "Kia"

[Cold]

"Leaked"! Leaked patents.

Anyway, here's its bum.

[kambites]

Triumph Man said:

I must admit I saw the front end and thought "Kia"

I saw it and thought Porsche. On balance I think your gut feeling was more flattering.

[AndrewNR]

Triumph Man said:

I must admit I saw the front end and thought "Kia"

Looks like a Focus/Mondeo on stilts to me

[Ikobo]

We're currently considering an E-Pace or XC40, I wouldn't be upset to throw a Lotus option in to the mix.

[Herbs]

Genuinely excited about this to find out how well they can make it handle. Porsche did a fine job with the Cayenne but this if they keep with the tradition of lightweight could be very interesting.

Could also be a complete dog mind!

[Cold]

[SWoll]

They'd surely struggle to sell enough of these to justify the huge development costs? Unless of course it's just a rebodied Korean SUV of some sort with a few interior and suspension tweaks?

Too much of a leap from their existing lineup also I'd suggest, and their reputation doesn't lend itself to big sales of a daily use car either.

[Herbs]

SWoll said:

They'd surely struggle to sell enough of these to justify the huge development costs? Unless of course it's just a rebodied Korean SUV of some sort with a few interior and suspension tweaks?

Too much of a leap from their existing lineup also I'd suggest, and their reputation doesn't lend itself to big sales of a daily use car either.

I'd suggest they have actually nailed it. The market appears to be shifting to coupe suv's. BMW now do the X1,X2,X3,X4,X5 and X6, Audi and Mercedes are doing the same.

Rather than arrive too late to the SUV market which is to established (Bentley & Aston Martin i'm looking at you) they've gone straight to the next big thing.

I think the standard hatch and saloon has pretty much had it's day as the biggest segment.

[Emeye]

Looks like an SUV Mazda RX8.

You sure this isn't a Mazda?

[Blayney]

Lotus Empire - Own your own empire with the Lotus SUV
Lotus Everest - Typical SUV name
Lotus Eluvium - geological
Lotus Embosk - hide or conceal with foliage... green laners
Lotus Exordia - introductory...
Lotus Elysian - heavenly...
Lotus Eunuch - well if you didn't get an Exige....

[SWoll]

Herbs said:

SWoll said:

They'd surely struggle to sell enough of these to justify the huge development costs? Unless of course it's just a rebodied Korean SUV of some sort with a few interior and suspension tweaks?

Too much of a leap from their existing lineup also I'd suggest, and their reputation doesn't lend itself to big sales of a daily use car either.

I'd suggest they have actually nailed it. The market appears to be shifting to coupe suv's. BMW now do the X1,X2,X3,X4,X5 and X6, Audi and Mercedes are doing the same.

Rather than arrive too late to the SUV market which is to established (Bentley & Aston Martin i'm looking at you) they've gone straight to the next big thing.

I think the standard hatch and saloon has pretty much had it's day as the biggest segment.

But they don't have the money, scale, reputation or engineering background to do it properly unlike the companies you mention above?

[Ikobo]

SWoll said:

They'd surely struggle to sell enough of these to justify the huge development costs? Unless of course it's just a rebodied Korean SUV of some sort with a few interior and suspension tweaks?

Too much of a leap from their existing lineup also I'd suggest, and their reputation doesn't lend itself to big sales of a daily use car either.

If only the new owners at Lotus owned another car company with experience in making high quality cars of this type.

[GranCab]

Will it be made of plastic ?